New Allegations Against Infantino

FIFA President Gianni Infantino strongly dismissed allegations that during his tenure as UEFA General Secretary, a former girlfriend was paid six figures. The Daily Telegraph conducted an investigation, and FIFA rejected the allegations as “completely false and defamatory.” Although these constraints have subsequently been strengthened, UEFA acknowledged that the woman received a payment that covered her MBA tuition at a nearby business school in compliance with the laws in effect at the time. According to a FIFA representative, Infantino did not commit any wrongdoing, and no UEFA or FIFA employee has ever lodged a complaint against him.

The 56-year-old Infantino is already under pressure to step down as a result of the abandoned plan to sell World Cup shares to private investors, and this most recent incident adds to that pressure. After winning the support of FIFA’s top executives in a meeting in Morocco, Infantino apologised for the controversial idea but declined to resign.

European teams, meanwhile, threatened to boycott FIFA events if the funding plan was abandoned. On the other hand, CONMEBOL, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Mexico, the tournament hosts, and Argentina, the runner-up, have all endorsed Infantino. Infantino became FIFA president in 2016 after joining UEFA in 2000 and rising to the position of General Secretary in 2009.